Starting and ignition apparatus.



B. M. LEECE.

STARTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION min AUG.25| 191s.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

BENNETT H. LEEC E, OE CLEVELAND, OHIOQ ASSIGNOR TO THE LEECE-NEVILLE COMPANY, 01 CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.-

-STABTING AND IGNITION APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENNETT M. Lnnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Starting and Ignition Apparatus,'of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to starting and ignition apparatus for automobiles and particularly to such apparatus including an electric starting motor which receives its current for I This fre uent starting purposes from a storage battery which supplies current also to the ignition coil or apparatus during starting and when the vehicle is running at a speed such that the voltage of the charging generator is less than the battery voltage.

When a starting motor is-connected to the storage battery for the purpose of starting the engine, a very heavy current is generally drawn from the battery and the Volta of the latter is pulled down very materially.

y renders starting of the engine a di cult matter, especially duringcold weather, because an insufiicient amount of current is supplied to the primary of the ignition coil to cause current of proper voltage and amperage to be induced in the sec: ondary to produce hot igniting sparks in the cylinders of the engine.

The present invention has for its object to provide means whereby the engine can be started more quickly and easily than is generally the case at the present time.

The invention contemplates the provision of means whereby, when the starting motor is connected to the battery there is a compensation for the reduced voltage of the battery, and hence the voltage impressed on the I terminals of the primary coil, or an increase in the primary turns over the value which would exist with the normal primary connections and at the reducedbattery voltage. The increasing of the primary ampere turns can be accomplished in several specifically difierent'ways whichinclude either increasing the current passing through the primary, or otherwise increasing the strength of the field which is produced in the coil by the interruption of the primary circuit, but in any event, a switch is preferably pro- I vided to vary the connections which will Specification of Letters Patent. Application flied August 25, 1916. Serial No. 116,868.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

tutes a part of or is operated by the starting switch so that the desired result is obtained automatically simply by closing the starting switch, the normal connections being restored when the starting switch'is opened and the engine has been started and is operating under its own power.

My invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Figure- 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of my invention; and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 in each of the figures represents a dynamo electric machine here shown as a starting motor which may be connected to the engine in any suitable manner and which may be of any desired construction or design. The machine 10 in this case functions simply as a motor, in which event it will be idle except when starting the engine, and the battery will be charged by a separate generator not here shown, although my invention may be utilized with a dynamo electric machine which first functions as a startingmotor and then as a charging generator after the engine is started. This motor is adapted to receive current from the storage battery 11 (constituting a source of current also for the ignition coil), the motor and battery being designed to be connected and disconnected by a starting switch 12.

The ignition coil includes a primary 13,

. which is designed to be connected across the terminals of the storage battery by the closure of an ignition switch 14, and a secondary 15, which is connected to the distributer 16, the terminals of which are connected in the usual manner to the spark plugs 17 of the engine, which is to be started by the motor 10. The primary circuit of the ignition coil includes the usual circuit breaker or make and break device 18 across the terminals of which is connected a condenser 19 in the customary manner.

In the drawings I have shown two ways of increasing the primary ampere turns d1 1ring starting or of compensating for the reduced battery voltage so that when the motor begins to turn over the engine good ignition is obtained and the interval of time that the motor is turning'over. the engine and the amount of current drawn from the battery for starting purposes will be reduced.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. .l, a

resistance 20 is provided for insertion in the primary circuit during normal running con ditions, and to be cut out of the circuit dur-v ing starting. A switch is provided for outting this section into and out of the circuit,

I and preferably this'switch forms a part of,

or is operated by the starter switch so that when the starter switch is closed the resistmice '20 is cut out of the circuit, and when the starter switch is opened the resistance is cut into the circuit. As here shown, the

blade of the starting switch 12 is provided with an extension which, when the switch 12 is closedfbridges a relatively long contact 12 which is connected to one terminal of the battery and a relatively short contact 12* which is connected to a point between the primary 13and resistance 20. When the switch 12 is in'open position the extension of the switch blade connects the relatively long contact 12 to another relatively short contact 12 which is connected to one end-of the resistance 20. In consequence, as before stated, when the starting switch is closed so as to connect the battery to the motor for starting purposes, the resistance 20'isout out of the circuit, -but.when the starting switch is opened, the normal connections are restored by connecting the resistance20 in series with the coil 13.

During normal running conditions with the resistance in the circuit, there is a 'suflicient energization of the coil to produce good ignition, and with the resistance out out of the circuit,-when there is less voltage impressed on the terminals of the primary, due to the fact that the motor is drawing current from the battery, there is suitlcient current supplied to the primary to'at once cause ignition.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the same results are obtained in a difierent manner. As shown in this figure, the primary- 13 is provided with two coils 13 and 13*.

When the starting switch is in oiI or' running position only the section 13 is'in the primary circuit, but when the switch 12 is closed or in starting position both sections 13, 13 are connected in parallel in the primary circuit. This result is obtained by providing an extra contact 12 in line the same time the number of turns in the primary is increased. Thus there is proinmate vided a strong fieldin thecoil and good ignition will. be produced as soon' as the motor begins to turn over the engine on the closure of the starting switch. 7

In putting my invention into practice, the primary ampere turns are preferably increased on the closure of the starting switch to an extent such that ignition during starting is as good as during normal running conditions when the voltage impressed on the terminals of theprimary isv greater than when the battery is supplying current to the motor for starting purposes. If desired, however, the primary ampere turns may be increased during startingto such an extent that there is even better ignition or hotter. sparks produced when the engine is being started or turned over by the motor than during normal running conditions.

Other means for carrying out my invention may occur to those skilled in the art. and I therefore do not desire to be confine to the exactdetails or arrangements shown, but aim in my claims to cover all modifications, changes or substitutions which do not involve a departure from the spirit or scope of theinvention in its broadest aspect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a starting and ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines, a dynamo electric machine for turning over or starting the engine, a battery for supplying current to said machine, an ignition coil having a primary connected to the battery, and means for increasing the ampere turns of the primary when said machine is connected to thebattery for starting purposeswithout changing the connections of the battery.

2. In a starting and ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines, a dynamo electric machine for turning over or starting the'engine, a battery for supplyingcurrent to said machine, anignition coil having a primary connected to'the'battery, and a switch for varying the connections of the primary circuit so as to compensate for thedecrease in battery voltage when the battery is connected to the said machine for starting purposes.

.3. In a starting and ignition apparatus 'for internal combustion engines, a dynamo electric machine for turning over or starting the engine, a battery for supplying current to said machine, an ignition coil having a primary connected to the battery, a

switch for controlling the connections between the battery and dynamo electric machine, and means operative upon the shift ing of said switch for compensating for the decrease in battery voltage, and hence in voltage impressed upon the primary coil when the battery is connected to said machine forstarting purposes.

4. In a starting and ignition system for internal combustion engines, a starting motor, a battery for supplying current thereto, an ignition coil having a primary connected to the battery, a unitary switching mechanism for connecting the battery to the mofor internal combustion engines, a dynamo.

electric machine adapted to serve as a mo- 5 tor to start the engine, a battery for supplying current to said machine, an ignition coil having a primary normally connected to the battery, a switch for controllin connections between said machine an battery, and means operative upon the shifting of said switch for increasing the ampere turns of the primary when said machine is connected to the battery for starting purposes without altering the' connections of the-battery or changing the relation of the cells thereof. 1 In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

BENNETT M. LEECE.

the the 

